Means for creasing linings for books and for analogous purposes



May 31, 1949. L. J. B. R. FRENCH MEANS FOR CREASING LININGS FOR BOOKSAND'FOR ANALOGOUS PURPOSES Filed Nov. 1, 1946 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 no 8 v 7L A W- /7 n m H H m I Na MMVQ ATTOENEYS May 31, 1949.

Filed Nov. 1, 1946,

L. J. B. R. FRENCH MEANS FOR CREASING LININGS FOR BOOKS AND FORANALOGOUS PURPOSES 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented May 31,. 1949 UNITED STATESPATENT OFFICE MEANS FOR CREASING LININGS FOR BOOKS AND FOR ANALOGOUSPURPOSES Application November 1, 1946, Serial No. 707,242 In GreatBritain December 6, 1945 4 Claims.

This invention relates to improved means for producing a series ofparallel creases or corrugations in fabric, paper or like readilyfoldable sheet material, and more particularly the invention is usefulin connection with what is known as back stripping, an operation carriedout in binding of books during which a strip of calico or other suitablematerial is lued as a lining to the spine of the book. With the devicedescribed the corrugations introduced into this lining provide thenecessary extra material for the subsequent rounding and backingoperation during which the strip lining resumes its originalsubstantially smooth form, the corrugations being drawn out by theexpansion of the book spine. These corrugations enable the book to bespread during rounding and backin without fear of splitting the liningon the back of the book whilst giving the book back a greater degree offlexibility.

The object of the present invention is to provide a creasing orcorrugating device in which variations in the depth or width of thecreases or folds, and selection in quantity of the number of lines orcreases or folds can be effected readily, and still further in whichthere is minimum friction or other opposition to the passage of thelinen or other sheet material through the creasing or folding means.

In order that the invention may be clearly understood and readilycarried into effect, drawings are appended hereto illustratin anembodiment thereof, and wherein:

Figure 1, a sectional side elevation of the appa- .ratus.

Figure 2 is a plan view.

Figure 3 is a detail sectional inverted plan view of one of the devicesfor retracting the rollers.

Figure 4 is a cross section through the support carrying the rollers,and

Figure 5 is a detail inside elevation of the set of rollers carryingfins which engage the fabric or paper strip.

Referring to the drawings the strip fabric or paper to be applied to thespines of the books 52 is indicated by the reference numeral 46 and itis fed from a supply spool 41 rotatin on a centre pin 48 carried by abracket 49 which is attached to the body of the machine, along the top53 of which are conveyed the books 52 to receive the adherently coatedfabric. A tension post 5| is carried by the bracket 49 to tension thematerial, and the spool ll is adjustable translatively vertically, e. g.by a traversing screw with a hand wheel 41a carried by the bracket 49.

The creasing device comprises a cylinder I 2 which has an axialdimension greater than the pro-determined maximum width of work to becorrugated or creased, and its cylindrical wall has midway between itsends a flange 2 in the centre of which is formed a hollow boss 3 bywhich the cylinder is affixed to a shaft 4 journalled in bearings 5 and6 in a central elongated boss I of a bracket 3 mounted for rising andfalling movement under the control of a lever 9 fulcrumed midway betweenits ends on a lug l0 dependin from a plug l I fixed by screws 12 in thelower end of the boss 1.

The periphery of the cylinder is formed with a plurality of parallel Vor similar section grooves l3 in which are engaged annular fins itformed on the peripheries of a plurality of rollers I5, these rollersbeing arranged in equi-distantly spaced relationship partly about theperiphery of the cylinder so that they successively engage the workwhich is traversed between the cylinder I and the fins of the rollers,the arrangement being that, as shown in Figure 5, the first set of finson a roller engaged by the work has a minimum number of peripheral fins,and the last roller has the maximum number, a convenient arrangement forthe fins of these rollers being to progressively increase by one orother uniform number, the number of their fins in succession from oneend roller to the other end roller.

The rollers are of uniform axial dimensions, and each roller issupported for individual adjustment towards and away from the peripheryof the cylinder. For this purpose each roller is mounted on a centre pinI6 which rotates at its end in heads I! formed on the ends of twoparallel pins 18 which are opposed to the cylinder, these pins beingbridged at their other ends by a transverse bar l9 fixed to the pins bythreading on the pins nuts 20 and 2| to engage opposite faces of suchbar. Such a construction of parallel pins and cross bar provides foreach roller, in effect a shackle or yoke for carrying the appropriaterollers, and the two pins I8 of each shackle or yoke are slidablethrough bores formed in the upper and. lower flanges or increasedthickness parts 22 of a part annular or segmental bar 23 disposed inconcentric relationship about part of the periphery of the cylinder,sothat the finned rollers are interposed betweenthe inner arcuate sideof this bar and the periphery of the cylinder. One end of this arcuatebar 23 is carried on a pivot pin 24 fixed in the aforesaid bracket 8,and the other end is secured in position by a spring loaded plunger orbolt 25 having a head 25a and engaged in a hole 26 in such bracket 8,

bolt comprising a rectangular *ortotherqsuitably shaped block 21a inwhich rotatesriazpini t formed with a flat 29 on one end normallyabutting against the bar I9 the pin .tfibeingsecured in position by acollar 30 fixedby a radiatinglfinger piece 3| by which the pin can bepartially rotated to cause the part cylindrical surface 3250f.

the end of the pin to engage the appropriate cross-bar i9connectingtheadjacent pairi'ofparallel lpins iii whereby: theappropriate ,pairof pins are retractedrelatively to the cylinderso as todisengage the fins lei-of theroller ;i 5 carried thereby from thegroovedsurface of the cylinder. 'Coiled compression :springs .33 on the pinsreturn the rollers to :the noperative :position.

The depending boss -'I 'inwhich arelocated upper andlowerbearings Band 6for the journals .of .the cylinder shaft 4 slides through asleeve whenthe lever 9 is articulated, vthe periphery of the sleeve being formedwith a flange -35ab ut' .tinguponrthe .;bracket :35111 which the sleeveis zfitted, :screws :31 ifixing the guide sleeve .34 relatively to thebracket. rbracket 8is due to the lever-.9 being connected atzone end-by'a link 38- -to'an arm -39 on the flange .375 and :reeeiving :motion;at :its other end by the :push-pull action-of'a vertical rodAflconnected at itslowerlendrto the leverand-at-its upper end-to 'ai-bracket ll'l projecting from a framezmember 42 ,formingipart of :means:supporting ,pulleys (not sshown) over which-is fed anendlessconveyoribelt, :only-thelowertrack "4310f which is-shown. p-

:posedto the lower track of:b,elt-43 is aEco-operrating conveyor belt,-,only the upper track 143a ,of EWhiCh JiSIShOWn.

:The *mechanism supporting the upper @endless conveyor belt 43 isadjustableuverticallyito permit of "the ".variationznecessary toaccommodate 'difiierentithicknesses of cboloks and since thevariaition-required;fonanyparticular thickness ofrbooks iiSexactly-double theWariation ofnposition' required :by ;the strip orilining to :be applied, :the alink 19 -is gpivotedzas aforesaid -=in itscentre so that 'the cylinder I audits-supporting mechanism. is movedv-;exa1ctly-.onehalf .of the amount :over'which part etiltisxmoved.

' The booksrare fed in theqdesiredrdirection along lthe top 25.0 of :thebody of the machine by being gripped between the -:,opp.osed tracks :ofthese two -conveyor: belts andiasgthey rpass theaforesaid-strip{creasingmeans:their-spinesghavethecreased-fab- :ric fedron totthemrinknown mannenthe creased zfiabricEbeing-guided awayzfrom' the'cylinder I.over asguiding barrelrAdyhavingrtheisame axial dimen- :sions andarrangement of grooves as the cylinder :1 so'that-the ,creasings :of thefabric are :notydeaformed. {During the travel of the creased material:from the cylinder l :to the barrel -44 an ad- "hesive =issprayed-or-wipedon-to the fabric, the aadhesive applying means being"indicated dia- :-.grannnatica1ly1at 45.

:The framamember 42 iseadjusted up ori-down zi-relatively toithegtop llto accommodate :the belts Each such 1 The rise and fall .-of the 43 and43a, to the thickness of the books to be fed with the material. It willbe apparent that adjustment of the frame member 42 will result in thecylinder I being adjusted axially up or down to wvarythewidth ofperiphery of .the drum disposed abovetheplane of the conveyor belt 43a.Thus the effective axial dimension of the cylinider l in use can bevaried to suit different widths of books and corrugated fabric.

iBy=-providing the ilms on the rollers in such =manner that-theyprogressively increase in number with respect -.to their rollers fromone end of thetset of rollers toithe other, a considerable dim- :inutionlinifriction is ensured by reason of the progressive buildup of thecreasing of the material as it passes between the rollers and thecyliinfcler. Stilljfurthenby providing means for selectively bringingthe finned rollers into and out of operation the effective width of thematerial to be creased can be varied.

The cylinder :I can be :heated by :electric vresistanceelements 52connected toa source OfzBlGC- trical energyby'brushes'53iengagingannular contact stripsM-and carried by an insulatedhousing -55tadaptedto receive themecessaryleads.

;I- claim:

,1. Inapparatus for feeding lfoldableJ-sheet material such as linen or.paper to articles to which the sheet material is united and forproducing in the sheet material creasesvextending.lengthwiseof .the:direction. of feed of the 'material, a freely -ro tatablecylinder witha plurality of circumferenatial grooves and :adapted .to :be rotated.-by the :traction-pf the'sheet'material:over;its:periphery,ia pluralityof freely rotatable TOHBISZDQIBJlBlM/ith the-cylinder,peripheralrfinsonithe rollers engaged :inrsaid grooves to producesaid :creases, a'support :for isaid rollers :partly surrounding the cylindermeanstsupporting each-roller sreadily displaceabl-y relativelytossaidisupportuand means combined :therewith .radapted the "manipulatedto retract ;the :rollers :selectively :from :the predeterminedcreasing:positionaandto .returnithe rollersl to such predeterminedposition.

:2. In 1 apparatusfQr :"feeding foldablei sheet mafterial -such:as'linen or paper to. artic1es to which the sheet material is' unitedand "for producing in the sheet material creases extending lengthwise-ofthe.direction"of feed *of "the material, a freely rotatable-cylinderwith a plurality of circumferential grooves and adapted to f be rotatedby the traction of the -s'heet material-over'its periphery, -a pluralityof freely rotatable rollers parallel with the cylinder peripheral finson the rollers engaged in said grooves to produce said 'creases, asupport for said rollers partly sur- *-rounding -the "cylinder, meanssupporting each -ro1ler readily displaceably relatively to said supportmeans combined therewith adapted to be manipulated to retract'therollers selectively from "the predetermined creasing positionand toreturn the rollers to such predetermined position, xand means,controllableby "the articles to be fed lwiththe. creased 'materialtoadjust automatically the cylinder and associated finned rollers axially,as :a unit to accommodate the position of the cylinder and rollers tothe thickness vof said articles.

3. In apparatus for feeding ioldable sheet, material.suchiasilinenlorpaperito articles .to which "the sheet material is -united and for,producing inthe sheet materialicreases extendingilengthwise of thedirection of vfeedof .the material, agfreely metatable. cylinder .with aplurality :of circumfer- 5 ential grooves and adapted to be rotated bythe traction of the sheet material over its periphery, a plurality offreely rotatable rollers parallel with the cylinder, peripheral fins onthe rollers engaged in said grooves to produce said creases, a supportfor said rollers partly surrounding the cylinder, spring meansdistinctive to each roller urging the rollers into said grooves, adevice with each roller adapted to be actuated to retract each rollerindividually relative to the others from the work engaging positionagainst the influence of said spring means and adapted to be actuated tofree the rollers for return movement to the predetermined work engagingposition by the reassertion of the spring means, and means controllableby the articles to be fed with the creased material to adjustautomatically the cylinder and associated finned rollers axially as aunit to accommodate the position of the cylinder and rollers to thethickness of said articles.

4. In apparatus for feeding foldable sheet material such as linen orpaper to articles to which the sheet material is united and forproducing in the sheet material creases extending lengthwise of thedirection of feed of the material, a freely rotatable cylinder with aplurality of circumferential grooves and adapted to be rotated by thetraction of the sheet material over its periphery, a plurality of freelyrotatable rollers parallel with the cylinder, peripheral fins on therollers engaged in said grooves, to produce said creases, a support forsaid rollers partly surround- 6. ing the cylinder, means supporting eachroller readily displaceably relatively to said support means combinedtherewith adapted to be manipulated to retract the rollers selectivelyfrom the predetermined creasing position and to return the rollers tosuch predetermined position, a bracket supporting the rotatable cylinderand the set of rollers with their support, a fixed guide in which saidbracket is supported slidably along the axis of the cylinder, conveyorbelts for translating the work into receiving engagement with thecreased material, and means to adjust the cylinder carrying bracketautomatically relative to said guide to raise and lower the cylinderalong its axis to compensate for variations in the space occupied by thework between the conveyor belts. LIONEL JOHN BRYANT RUSHENT FRENCH.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,627,966 Goodlett May 10, 19271,644,416 Crooks Oct. 4, 1927 2,090,796 Kitcat Aug. 24, 1937 2,107,485Liebowitz Feb. 8, 1938 2,158,087 Rowe et a1 May 16, 1939 2,414,739Heygel Jan. 21, 1947 2,425,207 Rowe Aug. 5, 1947

